The IDF has announced this morning (Friday) that Master Sergeant (Res.) Asaf Kafri from Beit Hashmonai, a tank driver in the 79th Battalion of the “Hammer” Brigade (14th Brigade), was killed yesterday in a battle in northern Gaza. Asaf was only 26.
Asaf was killed during a coordinated shooting attack by terrorists, which included the launch of an anti-tank missile and sniper fire. The attack occurred while soldiers from the tank he was in were conducting an operational mission.
The incident took place on a logistical route near Beit Hanoun, an area where IDF forces have been active for months. Asaf and his fellow soldiers had exited their tank for a designated mission when they came under direct fire. According to the available details, the anti-tank missile missed its target, but accurate sniper fire struck the soldiers, resulting in Asaf’s death and the injury of three others—two seriously, and one moderately.
The same area where IDF tracker Ra’aleb Nassar was killed last Saturday
The incident occurred in the same operational sector where IDF tracker Warrant Officer G’haleb Sliman Alnasasra was killed last Saturday. This area had been designated by the IDF as “secure.” Military sources estimate that the same terrorist cell may have been responsible for both attacks and have not yet been neutralized.
Following the incident, the IDF returned fire and launched a wide-scale wave of strikes against Hamas targets in northern Gaza. Around 40 sites were hit, including weapons depots, observation posts, and military infrastructure. Forces on the ground continue efforts to locate the cell responsible for the attack.
